Weird Food
by SpicyCracker
Summary: A WildeHopps Fanfiction written by WilldeHopps/SpicyCracker on Tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone!_

 _I'm very excited to present to you a project which I have been working on recently. I really hope you guys enjoy; it's been a lot of fun to plan out and write this story!_

 _Big shoutout to Javs2727, who was a major part of inspiring me to write this. He also helped a ton in editing the story and fixing errors to make the writing as smooth as possible, and I cannot thank him enough. Go check out his fanfiction, Nick Wilde x Judy Hopps! It's breathtaking._

 _If you have any feedback, questions, or comments, just send over an ask or message through my Tumblr._

 _Chapter two should be released sometime next week, or possibly a little after._

 _Enjoy!_

Chapter One

The moments following an arrest were probably one of the best things in the world to Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. Something about the smooth click and snap of pawcuffs around a criminal's wrists was so satisfying to them; like the bow on top of the present that was their job, a part of their lives that they both took pride in, and enjoyed every single day. Nick grinned as he firmly locked a pair of silvery cuffs on a shoplifter they chased down all morning. Judy impatiently tapped her foot against the cool tile floor of the small corner store. Merchandise was strewn all over the ground, caused by the struggle between the pair and the thief.

"Are you done?" complained Judy, "You got the last arrest! This one was going to be my turn..."

"Oh come on, how could I pass Weaselton up?" Nick asked jokingly. The weasel glared at Nick with a stare that could melt the wall behind him.

"Just get it over with!" Weaselton spat. Nick couldn't help but to burst out in laughter at the comment. He already had a hard time taking Weaselton seriously, with bootleg movies being his source of income, but his scraggly fur and frustrated appearance was just too funny.

A fairly small and still shaken up elk walked towards Nick and Judy, exclaiming, "T-thank you! Oh gosh, that was so scary! I honestly don't know what I would have - or could have done if he got away! That thief nearly took all the earnings from last week…. How could I ever repay you, officers?"

A giggle broke out from Judy, as she replied, "No need to repay us, miss. It's just our job.". Nick pulled out a pair of shades, flicking them open and sliding them over his eyes.

"Oh my god, we talked about this! You're such a dork," Judy sighed as she elbowed Nick in the side, a spot which was extremely sensitive, something Judy took advantage whenever she could. Nick yelped in surprise; his jumpy reactions were just too priceless. Rubbing his side, he took Weaselton to the police car, grinning the entire way.

Rolling her eyes yet smiling at the same time, Judy looked over at the elk, asking, "Excuse me, but what's your name?"

"Oh! My name's Julia."

"Well Julia, if you ever need anything else from us, just give the ZPD a call."

"I will for sure! Thanks again," Julia replied. Judy's face filled with a warm smile as she pressed her paws against the glass door of the convenience store, exposing a cool city breeze to her fur.

God, I love this city, Judy thought to herself.

Judy sat down in the driver's seat of the pair's police car, examining the laptop in the center of her and Nick. The screen displayed the database of their assignments, and what they had already done. Her eyes widened as she noticed green check marks next to every out of office task they had today.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, throwing her paws into the air happily.

Nick questioningly looked over at her, grinning as he asked, "What's up, Carrots?"

"We've got everything done out of office! We can head back to eat, then type up our reports and head home early!

"Oh really? How come you're so excited to go home? You always beg Bogo to let you stay overtime."

"I can't today. Didn't I tell you? I've got a date!"

"A d-date…? Nick's grip on his coffee cup nearly popped the lid off. He felt as though his heart was ripped to pieces as Judy's news hit his ears. A sinking feeling filled his body, forming a heartbroken expression that would not wash off his face.

"Yeah! He's this guy I met while I was out shopping, and he was just too handsome!" Judy rambled on about her exciting night, something that just sliced and diced at Nick even more. She continued until she caught a glance of Nick, noticing his sorrow filled face, and stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh god, Nick, are you alright? What's wrong?"

"It - It's nothing. Just drive."

"Nick?"

"Judy. Please." She gave him a worried look, trying to find a way, any way that she could cheer Nick up. Tightening her grip on the steering wheel, Judy reached a paw out to Nick's arm, trying to comfort him as she did on the lift back in the Rainforest District. At the touch of her paw on his arm, Nick slowly pulled away, and at closer inspection of his face, he was holding back tears. Judy's excitement for her night burned away, leaving nothing but ash and her broken heart, alongside Nick's. Sorrow and gloom filled her head, twisting around and plaguing her thoughts as she pressed on the gas pedal. Even though Nick was turned towards the window, Judy couldn't help but notice the looks he was stealing at her.

What hurt him so bad? She thought, how come he was so affected by my date…? Wait. No. Way.

Judy glanced over and saw the defeat and hurt in his eyes, the way he sat; everything.

Closing her eyes, Judy whispered, "I'm so sorry…"

Even though they were both emotionally broken, Nick still upheld his tradition of buying lunch for the two, like he did every time they had a successful day in the field. It was something Judy normally looked forward to, since it was so much fun to eat good food, crack jokes and smile with Nick. Today, however, Nick bought their food, and quietly handed Judy her meal. A salad made of carrots, leafy greens, and croutons filled a plastic bowl. While it was simple, there was something enchanting about it, something that would be lost forever. She hurt him. Deep. Those happy days she spent with Nick out cracking cases and doing whatever their job brought them were over, too. The tires of their car slowed to a stop in front of the ZPD building, and the two made their way quietly to their cubicles. Normally, they only ate lunch there if they were short on time. Today, they had plenty of time, extra even. Judy just couldn't stand to see him like this and know that she caused it. The rabbit had to eat alone, and mull over her food. Truthfully, she wanted to sob her eyes out onto his chest, and just talk like they used to do, but she couldn't do that anymore.

Clawhauser beamed as he saw the pair walk through the door, excitedly calling out, "Hey you two! How was the case?"

Silence was their only answer. When Clawhauser saw that not even he could get a response, his smile faded. He was worried for them. Personally, he found himself occasionally daydreaming about the two as a couple when he was bored at the front desk, so the quiet between them was not a good sign for his imaginary habits.

Judy slowly lowered herself in front of her desk, her eyes wandering about the pictures she and Nick had taken all over the city. The photos ranged from his first day, to last wednesday, when they arrested a gang of hamsters. She smiled at the memories, but her heart fell into oblivion.

What am I doing? She thought, I could never be in a relationship with a fox! That would be crazy! But he seemed heartbroken, like their relationship would have been heaven for the fox. Could it really be that bad though? I mean, he is pretty good looking. Now, his personality, while probably the most annoying since having over 200 siblings, he's actually super fun to be around and - ugh, I can't do this. Not at work.

Judy popped open the lid of her salad bowl, quietly mixing it around with her fork. Lifting some of the beloved food to her lips, she tasted not only the vegetables, but a million emotions, a million thoughts, and his broken heart. She closed her eyes, quietly letting tears roll down her cheeks.

A yelp broke the moment, and she heard rips, tears, and struggle in the cubicle next to her. Just as quickly as it started, the strange sounds ended, leaving nothing but a quickly silenced room, and growling. Low, harsh growling.

"Nick? Are you alright?"

Slowly moving out of her cubicle, Judy spotted a chair, it's back ripped to shreds. It lie just outside the neighboring cubicle; Nick's cubicle. She cautiously peered into his office space, oddly not seeing the fox. Well, at least not the one she knew. Instead, a savage fox prowled around the space, hunting. Hunting for a kill. Hunting for her. Judy's eyes darted around their surroundings in a state of panic. They landed on multiple cops, frantically searching for tranquilizer guns, and antidote. An elephant cop turned in her direction, and gasped when Judy came into view.

"Oh god, Judy! You need to get out of here, Now!"

"Relax, Nick's a jokester! Very funny, Wilde."

"Are you kidding?! No, he's savage! He can and will kill you! You should know better than any of us, you have the most experience with Nighthowlers! Now run! He'll be fine. I promise. But if you stay here, I cannot guarantee you will be fine. Not at all. Get out of here!"

"No, watch this. Nick, c'mon. It's hilarious, ha, ha, but we gotta get back to work."

The fox had no reaction. He didn't stand up, he didn't stop growling. Instead, his head snapped in Judy's direction, lips curling into a snarl as he lowered his body to the ground, ready to pounce.

Judy shrieked as a flurry of swipes began to rain down upon her. "Nick! No!"

Nick's eyes snapped open to a sterile white ceiling as he woke in cold sweat. Scattered around him were machines of all sizes, filling the air with soft beeps and a quiet hum. Dull aches and pains riddled the fox's body, and his memory was a blur back until he sat down to eat.

Without Judy.

Nick's heart tore at the thought. While it was odd he couldn't remember much else after that, the idea of Judy being with someone else was a future he could not allow.

Nick wrapped his paws around the silky sheets of the strange bed, tightening in anger. While the room he occupied was unknown and new to him, Nick couldn't care less; his thoughts were elsewhere. Judy was all that really mattered, and he would never have her. Nick sighed, clutching a pillow to his chest. A dull nausea coursed through his veins.

Replaying his memories over and over, he tried to remember any earlier events. But no matter how hard he tried, it seemed like everything past starting to eat just vanished. But why? Where was he, and why was he there?

Confused and curious, Nick cautiously analyzed the room. Everything around him bore the same color of white, and maintained a clean and fresh appearance. However, one part of the room in particular caught his attention. A steel table clear of anything other than a neatly folded rag, and a small, bright green bottle.

Just as he began to stretch his arm out to grab the vial, the creak of a door averted his attention to a familiar buffalo.

"Hello, Wilde."

"Chief Bogo, just the guy I wanted to see! Can I ask; where am I?"

"About that," he said, shifting awkwardly, "I have some news. You see, Wilde, your food may have been laced."

A questioning eyebrow raised on the fox's face.

"Laced? With what?"

"Well, uh, it was something we haven't seen for a long time…" It was obvious Bogo was dancing around the reality of the situation. "You see, it was uh, nighthowlers."

Nick's breath became ragged and desperate as his heart sunk like a rock to the bottom of the ocean.

"S-sorry, could you repeat that?"

"Nighthowlers, Nick. You went savage."

Eyes wide, Nick blurted, "Judy! S-she's okay, right?"

"She's recovering."

"Recovering?! What happened?"

Bogo sighed. It was obvious he didn't want to be having this conversation. Even though Nick was nowhere near perfect, Bogo appreciated the effort he put forth, and bearing bad news was the least pleasant thing he could be doing.

"While we do not have all the facts or evidence, we assume that your food was laced with nighthowlers, due to the body's quick reaction to their poison, like I mentioned earlier."

"But how is Judy?"

"I'm getting to that, Wilde. Give me a chance," Bogo retorted. "Thankfully, you two were separated between the cubicle walls, so Judy wasn't immediately spotted by your savage form. The surprise and unpreparedness for the situation caused surrounding officers to have a late reaction. You were tranquilized after she was attacked."

Guilt and anger chilled Nick's body, filling his thoughts and emotions. He buried his face in his arms, trying to hide from reality, trying to hide from what he had done. Every part of his being hated himself right now, and hoped and prayed Judy was okay.

Bogo continued, "She took damage to her head, and side. Thankfully, she'll heal up just fine, and should only be out for a few days. Speaking of that, I understand that you may be… distraught about this whole situation. Take tomorrow off. Visit her. We'll be working on figuring out how this happened in the meantime, and you can pick up where we stop." While Bogo was harsh, and acted like he didn't care, he was actually a very compassionate and caring soul. He understood what Nick was going through, after dealing with his own problems in the past. He took the silence between them as a understanding, and softly closed the door behind him as he left.

Nick remained in the same crumpled state, feeling nothing but remorse and shame. He replayed Bogo's words over and over again, imagining how hurt Judy is, and envisioning their desolate future. Tears quietly ran down his fur, and Nick wept. He cried not for himself, but for her. For Judy.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey there guys! (Hi! This is Javs, and I'm here to annoyingly comment on this intro!)_

 _I would just like to take a moment to thank everyone for all the support I've received on Chapter One. It's crazy to me that we've hit 500 views on , and I couldn't be more happy. Thank you so much for the excitement and joy you've shown towards this story, and me. It really makes this a blast, and I'm so excited to do more! (I think half of those views were me tbh. Not to take away from you, though!)_

 _Sorry if this chapter was a little late, or a little too short. The next one should be more on time._

 _If you have any feedback, questions, or comments, just send over an ask or message through my Tumblr, or FF._

 _Chapter Three should be released sometime next week, or possibly a little after._

 _Enjoy! (Or not. Up to you.)_

Chapter Two

She lay atop a white hospital bed motionless, an oxygen mask covering her snout.

After the attack - his attack - Judy Hopps was rushed to the hospital as soon as other ZPD police officers could get Nick Wilde under control. Guilt chilled his bones, and the weight of what he had done held him down like a ball and chain. He quietly added water to the bright lavender flower vase he had picked out for Judy.

Chief Bogo said that she would be fine, and only out for a couple of days. However, Nick couldn't help but to worry. He wanted to be there for her as much as he possibly could. Longingly, Nick turned his head to see Judy, an angel in his dull world, breath slowly escaping her lips. Bandages carefully wrapped her torso and her head, allowing her ears to rest on the pillow.

Nick softly set the now empty glass on the table, as if he was trying not to wake Judy. But he knew that wouldn't be happening any time soon. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his paws curled into fists. 'What have I done?' Nick thought as he averted his eyes from the clean satin bed's occupant. 'This is all my fault. She's hurt because of me.' His shaking paws raised into view, and Nick looked down, horrified at the things that caused her so much pain. 'I don't deserve her. Not after this. She would never want me anymore anyway.'

He couldn't help but to look at her, at her bandaged body, at his mangled partner, and at what he had done. Trembling thoughts and emotions translated into actions, and Nick fell into the chair behind him drowning in guilt and shame. 'How could I let this happen? She's the one thing in this world that makes me smile. The one thing that motivates me to get out of bed in the morning. I can come to work and know that someone supportive, funny, smart, and beautiful will be there for me. I just _had_ to screw it up.'

Nick's paws rested on his cheeks, then slid upwards to wipe the tears from his weeping eyes. He knew after countless talks with the doctors and nurses that Judy would be alright and heal quickly. However, his blood still ran cold at the thought, the sight, and the constant pain of knowing she was suffering from his paws. He stood, slowly shuffling towards Judy's bed, falling to his knees just before it. Nick grasped her paw in his, gently squeezing it as he desperately searched for any hope. Instead, nothing but painful memories and razor sharp guilt cut into his mind. Tears dripped from his muzzle onto the sheets, and Nick whimpered at his horrible reality.

"Judy, I'm sorry."


End file.
